Making a Deal

                                    

                                          
Martha woke up bright and early the next morning; today was the day the results for the Christmas Pageant would be posted. She was beyond ecstatic. She got up, got dressed, brushed her teeth and hair, ate a quick breakfast and rode down to the school as fast as she could. By the time she got there, Donna and Tina were waiting for her.
"Martha!" They cried.
"Hey, girls. What are you doing here?" Martha asked as she tied her sled to the bike rack just like she did the day before.
"We just wanted to be here for you when you look at the casting roster for the pageant." Tina replied.
"And don't worry, we're here for you." Donna added.
"Oh, thanks, you guys." Martha beamed before she saw Mr. Welltether exit the school. He turned around and smiled at the girls.
"Hello, Martha May. Hello, Donna, Tina. I was just on my way out." He said with a smile.
"Hi, Mr. Welltether." Martha said. "Where the cast list?"
"I just posted it near the auditorium doors. Go right on ahead." Mr. Welltether said as Martha opened the door to go inside. "Oh, and Martha?" She turned to look at him and he gave her a wink. "Rehearsals start tomorrow at 11:00 am and the show is on Christmas Eve night." And he walked away, leaving Martha and her friends in a state of slight confusion.
She didn't think too much of it and went inside with Donna and Tina right behind her. And there was the list, right smack in the middle of the bulletin board. It was too high for her to read, so Martha went over, grabbed a chair sitting in the hall, pushed it up to the board, and climbed it so she could get a better view. Donna and Tina stood below, watched with baited breath.
"So? What do you see?" Donna asked.
"Did you get in?" Tina added.
"I don't know yet, gimme a sec."  Martha said as she scrolled through the different names and roles until finally, she found her name... and she was cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker. She gasped.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Her friends said.
"I'm the Sugar Plum Fairy... I'M THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY!!" Martha cried in excitement; she jumped down from the chair and her friends hugged her as all three of them squealed in delight. "I got in, I got in, I got in!!"
"That's amazing, Martha!" Donna cried.
"Congratulations!" Tina exclaimed.
Suddenly, Martha remembered those bullies from last night and she went quiet. Tina quickly took notice.
"Something wrong, Martha?" She asked.
"Huh? Oh, no. It's nothing." Martha lied, but Tina knew something was up.
"Come on, what's wrong?" Tina asked.
Martha sighed. "Okay, fine. Last night while I was at the lake, your friends came up to me with a few older kids... and they started to bully me. They said I shouldn't have auditioned for the pageant and that I should back out. Your friends also said that Donna and I stole you from them."
Tina's eyes widened in surprise at this; she knew Tessie, Terri, Trevor, and Travis weren't the nicest Whos in town, but she didn't think they'd bully someone on their own, especially with that group of older kids. "I... I'm sorry, Martha. Why don't I try and talk to them?"
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. They'll listen to me; maybe I can get them to stop."
"And what if they don't?"